Essentials of Illinois School Finance: A Guide to Techniques, Issues and Resources

by James B. Fritts

This book from IASB Publications was originally designed as a training manual and desk-top reference for school business mangers and budget makers. While it continues to fill that role admirably, the book also provides an effective reference for anyone who needs to understand the essentials of Illinois school finance. From the peculiarities of property taxes and state funding to the formulas for projecting enrollments and staffing budgets, this book covers just about everything - and does it in plain English. The book also features a separate chapter on the role of school board policy (which is also addressed in the foreword by IASB Executive Director Michael Johnson). A comprehensive alphabetical index makes it easy to find substantive references to hundreds of topics. The Fourth Edition, of course, is completely updated with revised laws and state funding data for fiscal year 2009.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Christina]

The sixth edition, published in 2012, is a well-written guide to Illinois school finance for administrators and board of education members. The book describes Illinois property tax caps, general and categorical state aid, federal funding, borrowing options, tax-rate referenda, budgeting, and financial forecasting.